Take This Job and Love It: Dairy Farmer

Every now and then, we all wonder what it would be like to switch jobs and try something else.Amy Erickson’s been giving it a try lately.This month, at the suggestion of viewers, she put on her boots and went down on the farm.She has more in “Take This Job and Love It.”Justin Veazie is my boss for the day at Veazland Farms in Corinna.Justin’s a fourth-generation dairy farmer…and he’s convinced he can teach me to milk with the best of them.”It’s not bad. I think you can do it. Alright. But it’s kind of a dirty job? Yeah, they poop in there and pee in there and it splatters on the floor. Do you ever get kicked? Yeah, you can. Some of them do.”Not exactly what I wanted to hear, but I head in to the milking parlor to get started.”8 cows on each side will come in. You’ll pre-dip a cow, wipe her teats, put the milker on there.”As luck would have it, just as I’m getting my lesson…”Oh! (runs away) She just peed on me! Told you you were going to get peed or pooped on!”After two more cows christened me, it was back to milking.First, the iodine spray, then a wipedown…then I have to squeeze a little milk by hand to make sure it looks okay.(Squirts milk from teat) “Ah, I did it! Nice! I’ve always wanted to do that, actually.”Then it’s time to attach the milker.”Yhis one already peed, right? Yeah, just watch out for poop. Just press it like this. Get all 4. There you go.”bite 6:18 “just like a pro. Hey, how about that?! You did it.”I milk half a dozen cows in all…then send them on their way back to the barn.”Hey, good work ladies. Thanks for the milk.”I’m feeling pretty good about farm life until Justin tells me about his other job on the farm.He artificially inseminates the cows…by hand.”So you call it breeding? Yeah, artificially inseminating. Can I pay you to get out of doing that today? That’d be nice, yeah!”Justin takes pity on me and lets me bottle-feed a day-old calf instead.”Come here baby, come here! Ready?! Oops, sorry, I got your eye! Alright, calf.””Jeez…a baby is way easier! Yeah.”My final assignment for the day? Learn how to drive this tractor.Yikes.”Hop in. These tires are as big as me!(climbs in)””Just let out on the clutch. You won’t stall it or anything. You have a lot of faith in me! Oh, yeah. I think you can do it.”And I did…but not without a few bumps…”Oh, I’m going to turn it around? (bump) Oh, my God! Ok, you can stop. Clutch.”The ultimate test was backing it into its spot…somehow, I did it, and the tractor is no worse for the wear.”I can’t believe I did that. I can’t believe I just drove a tractor and backed it in. This is pretty cool. You did a good job.””How do you think I did? I think you did good. Milking went well, calf feeding went real well. What do I need to work on? In general? In general. I don’t know, I think you did good. Yeah? Yeah. So I could’ve been a farm girl in another life? We could get you trained, yup.”Amy’s always looking for suggestions for her next job swap.If you have an idea, email her at [email protected]